Semantics
by Sick Of It All
Summary: Willow should choose her words more carefully, especially when talking to a wish demon. Just a short fun drabbly thing ;


_*Thanks to my on/off beta mate CS for the kernel of an idea*_

Willow wiped her nose roughly as she sat in the bathroom stall, her small body racking with sobs following the heart wrenching revelations that spilled forth from Xander. That _**he**_ had slept with Faith recently, it was in that moment that the witch finally felt her heartstrings tauten and snap as her realisation consumed her soul. The salty lonely tears rolled down her cheeks as she wallowed in the mire of self-pity she was drowning in. Though she felt reviled that she felt something for Faith, she could not deny the smile that blossomed on her face whenever she thought of the brunette slayer.

"Hey, are you ok?", came a husky voice from the bathroom stall next to her making Willow jump on the cracked formica toilet seat and drop her used wet tissues like confetti for her sadness.

"W-what?", replied the witch as her voice creaked under the strain.

"I was just asking if you're ok, you seem kind of upset", said the unknown voice once more which carried a strange and easing lilt which nestled in Willow's ears.

"I-I'm fine….it's just…"

"Someone break your heart? Trust me, I've been there too. Someone you think about all the time but was too out of reach to tell how you felt?"

"I….h-how did you know?", said Willow finding it strange how comforting this strangers words were, wrapped up in a warm and lulling echo somehow making the witch want to pour out her brittle angst.

"Like I said, I've had my heart stomped on before. Who was it? A friend? Someone you wished was your friend?"

"I…h-her name's Faith. S-she….I…."

"Oh, so it's a girl you like, but let me guess. You're too shy and insecure to tell her how you feel, trying to mask your true feelings under a nonchalant or hostile way? I know what you're going through, I fell in love with a girl not that long ago but I was too scared of rejection, too scared of what my friends would think of me, and next thing I knew she was with someone else. Don't you wish you could go back and say those things to her? The words you always wished to?", said the girl who stepped from the stall and leant on the door by Willow, her tone was soft and encouraging disabling the witch's reluctance.

"I…yes", sighed Willow as she dried the last of her tears and unlocked the door stepping out to see a young blonde woman of a similar age she hadn't seen around the school before.

"It sucks doesn't it, to have your feelings kicked around and no-one even knows why", said the pretty girl in the pig tails and birkenstocks.

"Y-yes, it sucks big time", replied the redhead with a small smile as she made her way over to the bathroom mirror wiping her spilt eyeliner.

"Oh, I'm Tiya by the way"

"Willow"

"Nice to meet you, so tell me Willow, are you just going to make the same mistakes I did and let the one you want get away? Take my advice and tell this Faith how you feel before it's too late", pressed Tiya who stood next to the witch touching up her lip gloss.

"It's not that easy, I mean….Faith is like…she's so….", replied Willow with a furious ache rattling around in her throat.

"You think she won't think the same way about you? What do you have to lose by telling her?"

"My self-respect, my…"

"Don't be such a loser Willow, you need to tell her", snorted Tiya as she grasped Willow by the shoulders, her mere touch flooding the redheads body with a need to confide and trust.

"B-but I'm just a nerd, a-and a ginger at that, why would she want someone like me?", said Willow sadly.

"I'm sure there is a way she could find you desirable", said Tiya with a raised eyebrow.

"Wait, you're right", said Willow with a sudden plan ricocheting around her mind, "If I could…no, that's not right. I-I can't…"

"I can help, it _**can**_ be arranged you know. To have this Faith girl see you in a different light"

"Yeah right, I just have to face facts that's she'll never want me. But…..I just wish Faith would find me irresistible", gushed Willow not knowing why she was spilling her truths so easily to this girl.

"Wish…. granted", said the husky voice in return.

Willow turned round, her curiosity piqued, and gasped in horror as she saw Tiya's twisted features reveal themselves. Pale and peeling green skin curled into a vindictive smile as the demon grasped her pendant bathing Willow in a blinding flash of light.

.. * * * * * * * *..

Willow blinked away her confusion as her sight returned to her but her eyes snapped wide open when she recognised a warm and unguarded gaze staring back at her.

"Morning sweetheart", said Faith as she lay on the bed staring across with such tenderness and love. Her dimples glowing in the dank motel room she called home.

'_Oh my god, s-she's here…i-in bed…with me….a-and she called me sweetheart. __**Me**__….she called __**me**__ sweetheart! This is too good to be true! How do wish demons get such a bad rep when she's made all my dreams come true and….hang on, I don't remember Faith being so big. She's like huge or something_', thought Willow as her mind rippled with confusion seeing the slayer loom over her.

"Come on baby. Let's get you something to eat", smiled Faith as she shifted to get up.

"_Eat? Ooh, she's going to make me breakfast in bed, awww, how sweet is she? Wait, she's looking at me, I-I should really say something. Come on now Willow, say something cool"_

"Arf", said the redhead.

"_Huh? Did I just say that? What the hell was that Willow? What were you…..you…..oh my god!",_ thought Willow as a sudden panic gripped her as she went to wipe her dry lips but her eyes near popped from her head when she didn't see her hand but a furry limb.

"Arf…..arf, arf", said Willow again as she jumped on the bed, her breath shaky and shallow as the realisation was starting to sink in.

"Awww, do you need to go wee-wees?", said Faith scooping Willow up in her arms and hugging her tightly, "It's ok baby, Mommy's gonna love you forever and ever, right my lil' shnooky wookums"

The uncharacteristic babyish voice from Faith made Willow baulk but once she spied their reflection in the dirty cracked mirror on the wall she felt her bile rush along her throat making the small leather collar around her neck seem to constrict all the more. For in the mirror Willow saw only Faith carrying a small red setter puppy who was now struggling desperately and barking in terror and panic.

"Oh calm down sweetheart", cooed Faith in warm and gooey tones as she placed a soft kiss on her new puppy's wrinkled brow, "Now let's go try out your brand new doggie bowl, _**and**_ I got you a brand new leash so we can go walkies later"

As Willow little paws clawed manically at empty air her eyes burned with tears, but before she could unleash another torrent of pleas and curses disguised as the barking of a spritely young dog, there came a sharp rapping on the recently repaired door of the motel room.

"Heya B", said Faith with a grin as she opened the door and let the other slayer in.

"Hey Faith, oh you _**did**_ get a puppy then", said Buffy with a squeal as she looked down with a broad grin at the sweet little bundle of fur flailing in Faith's arms, "Awww, isn't she the cutest thing"

"Yeah, she's…..irresistible"


End file.
